Judicial Process

Student Housing established rules, regulations and procedures that set standards and expectations for student behavior and state the university's response to behavior that falls outside of these expectations.

The Student Housing judicial system serves to provide a transparent and procedural response to reports of disruptive student behavior based on fairness and due process. The system is designed around a developmental approach, which calls for dialogue with the student causing the disruption, and educational sanctions and progressive consequences for repeat violations.

In addition to CSUN's Student Conduct Code, there are Student Housing Rules and Regulations that apply to students, guests and visitors while they reside or are present in student housing facilities or surrounding areas. Student Housing is a year-round operation; therefore, these policies are in place throughout the calendar year. Finally, students are considered personally responsible for the behavior of their guest and visitors.

Housing Judicial Information

If a student or guest is alleged to have violated a housing policy, an incident report will be written and submitted to the Office of Residential Life. The student will receive a notice delivered to his or her room and/or an email sent to his or her CSUN email address explaining the nature of the alleged violation and advising him or her of a scheduled incident meeting with a hearing officer, which can be a community director, judicial coordinator or another member of the housing staff.

The scheduled incident meeting is mandatory. If the student is not able to attend because of an academic conflict, it is his or her responsibility to contact the hearing officer to reschedule the meeting. Failure to attend or reschedule may result in the meeting taking place in the student's absence, and he or she may be held responsible for the violation without the benefit of his or her input. Additionally, the student may be charged a $25 fine for failing to appear in this meeting.

Student responsibility

At the incident meeting, the student will be advised of the alleged violation, and be able to explain his or her perspective to the hearing officer. The hearing officer will weigh all of the evidence in the file and determine accountability. In the housing judicial process, there needs to be a 51 percent or more likelihood that a student is responsible in order to be held accountable for an alleged violation.

Accountability

If a student is found responsible for violating a housing policy, the hearing officer will usually hold him or her accountable through a sanction. Sanctions will vary depending on the severity of the violation and the judicial history of the student; some sanctions include a warning, an educational task such as a written paper, a fine (especially if the violation involved damages), housing probation, no re-contract status or contract cancellation.

Filing a complaint

If a resident wishes to file a complaint against a fellow student for conduct that has violated the housing rules and regulations, he or she can file an incident report with his or her community director.

Student appeals

Students have the right to appeal a decision made during an incident meeting. Appeals must be submitted within three working days of the conduct conference. All requests for housing conduct appeals must be submitted using the Conduct Appeal Form and delivered to the Office of Residential Life in Pacific Willow Hall (building 6, room 104). Approval for an appeal hearing will be determined by the judicial coordinator or the designee and will be based on at least one of the following criteria:

Presentation of new or relevant information that was unavailable at the time of the original hearing

Proof that the decision was unsupported by the preponderance of the evidence

FAQs

What happens if a resident advisor writes me up?

Students who appear to have violated housing rules and regulations will be sent a notice to their room and/or their CSUN email address of an incident meeting scheduled with a hearing officer. It is important that you appear at the meeting location on time or reschedule at least 24 hours prior in order to resolve the issue.

What if I disagree with the alleged violation?

You will be able to present your point of view at the incident meeting with the community director. You are considered innocent of the charge until you have provided an opportunity to be heard.

What if I missed my incident meeting?

Contact your community director immediately. Even if a sanction has been assigned, we still prefer to have an opportunity to speak to you in person about judicial matters.

What if I disagree with a sanction that I have been assigned?

An appeal process is available to students under the following instances:

Presentation of new or relevant information that was unavailable at the time of the original hearing

Proof that the decision was unsupported by the preponderance of the evidence

You can appeal the sanction directly to the assistant housing director Michael Jackson by emailing michael.jackson@csun.edu.

What if I have a time conflict with the scheduled incident meeting?

Usually, incident meetings are only rescheduled for academic obligations; however, we are flexible as long as you give us 24-hour advance notice of a scheduling conflict. Asking to reschedule the same day as your appointment is not acceptable.

What can I expect from an incident meeting?

Incident meetings are designed to hear your point of view so that accountability can be determined. Usually they are held in private, between you and the hearing officer only. You are permitted to bring witnesses or other evidence related to the charges with you to the meeting. However, keep in mind that incident meetings are informal developmental meetings; attorneys, parents or other representatives are not traditionally part of the process.

Will my parents find out about the incident meeting?

In most cases, the judicial process is between you and the hearing officer. In instances in which your health may be in jeopardy, CSUN is permitted to notify a parent or guardian.

What kind of sanctions may I receive?

Sanctions will vary depending on the nature and severity of the violation and your judicial record. They range from a simple warning letter outlining expectations to a written paper allowing you to reflect on your behavior. In more severe cases, you can lose your residential status or be referred to the dean of students to be charged under the Student Conduct Code.

Why was I written up even though my guest violated a policy?

You are held responsible for the behavior of your guests at all times. It is important that you communicate the rules and monitor the behavior of your guests.

Will write-ups or sanctions affect my standing with CSUN and Student Housing?

Continued violations of the rules and regulations can result in the loss of your resident status. Severe violations of the policies can also result in referral to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, which can place your status as a student in jeopardy.

How do I pay a fine?

If a fine has been assessed, it will automatically be charged to your housing account. Those charges can be paid by logging in to the myNorthridge Portal.

Will I still be held accountable if I didn't know that a policy existed?

Every student is expected to have read and understood the Student Housing Rules and Regulations at the time they sign their housing contract. Being unaware of the policy is not an acceptable explanation for a conduct violation.